privileged path to high status (e.g. in business, education, etc.); fast track to success; road to success
on bad terms; at loggerheads
standard item; usual thing; (a) classic; basic item (with stable demand); staple goods
somehow; for some reason; without knowing why
to get along (with someone); to be like-minded; to be congenial
row of houses; every house; each house; all; totally
something heard for the first time; hearing something for the first time
to make use of aizuchi; to back-channel; to throw in interjections to show that one is paying attention
identical; same; one and the same; fair; equal treatment; without discrimination
to connect; to correlate; to associate; to relate; to link
element; component; factor; element (e.g. in array); member (e.g. data structure)
conclusion (of an argument, discussion, study, etc.); conclusion
instead of; replacing; on behalf of
conquest; subjugation; overcoming (a difficulty); conquering (e.g. a mountain); mastery (of a skill)
to trap (into a difficult situation); to put (in a fix); to capture (a castle, fortress, etc.); to take; to drop (something) into
script; screenplay; scenario
(police) detective; criminal matter
mob; the masses; rabble; all things in nature; the whole creation
illegal; illicit; unlawful
hard; solid; stiff; tight; strong; firm (not viscous or easily moved); safe
certain; some kind of; some sort of; of sorts
to have; to possess; to own; to be endowed with
idle gossip; foolish talk; yarn
assumption; supposition; hypothesis; supposition
megalomania; delusions of grandeur
to cling to; to hold on to; to grapple; to set about doing; to begin; to possess (someone; of an evil spirit, idea, etc.)
treachery; betrayal; perfidy
hypothesis; supposition; assumption; tentative theory
to distort; to strain (an interpretation); to stretch (the meaning of a word)
anonymity; using an assumed name
self-proclaimed; self-professed; professing oneself to be; calling oneself; first person
influential; prominent; leading; strong; powerful; likely
plot; intrigue; scheme; conspiracy
living thing; organism; creature; biology
big hit (with); great success; great reception; great popularity; catching on greatly
crystal; crystallization; crystallisation; fruits (of labor, union, etc.)
fairy tale; fairy story; nursery tale
to compare (something) to; to liken; to speak figuratively; to use a simile; to use a metaphor
ancient times; distant past; antiquity
snow that falls on mountains
plant and equipment; production equipment; productive capacity
(not) necessarily; (not) entirely; (not) altogether